Phoenix Suns: A Trip Through the Steve Nash Era

After the most unsuccessful season in the Phoenix Suns' history under Steve Nash, in which the Suns went 40-42, many questions are waiting to be answered.

The most glaring one, will Steve Nash be back in the desert next season?

As a cloud of mediocrity and regret looms over U.S. Airways Center in downtown Phoenix, let us remember the good times. The playoff series, the MVP's, and the teams that made us smile, even if they couldn't win it all.

Join B/R as we travel through the past 15 years of Phoenix Suns basketball and their most beloved floor general, Steve Nash.

1999-2000: Nash and the Mavs Improve, but Suns Do Better

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The Mavericks, in their second season as Nash at point guard, would finish with a mark of 40-42.

1999-2000 also marked the 10th consecutive season that Dallas had missed the playoffs. Phoenix on the other hand, was one of the 16 playoff teams in 2000, clinching a postseason spot for the 12th consecutive season.

The Suns would finish 53-29, 4th in the Western Conference. Jason Kidd would lead Phoenix to a first round win over the Spurs, 3-1, but the Suns would fall in the conference semi-finals, 4-1, to the L.A. Lakers.

Nowitzki, playing alongside Nash, would improve his scoring production by 9.3 points per game in 1999-2000.

Fact:Steve Nash's field goal percentage increased 11% from the 1998-1999 to the 1999-2000 season.

2004-2005: Nash and the Suns Burn the Rest of the League

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The Suns would run their way to the NBA's best record in 2004-2005, winning 62 games in all.

Nash would claim the league's MVP award over Shaquille O'Neal, and Amar'e Stoudemire would become a household name, but the season would still belong to San Antonio, who won their third title in a span of six seasons.

Nash's career high 11.5 assists per game would be credited to head coach Mike D'Antoni's offensive style, built on uptempo play and quick shots in transition.

However Nash's offseason workouts and training are more to blame for the increase in the 31-year-old's play that season.

Fact:Nash averaged career highs, 23.9 PPG and 52 percent field percentage, in the 2005 playoffs.

2005-2006: Another MVP but Still No Ring

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Nash and the Suns would surprise the league in 2005-2006, snatching the Western Conference's no. 2 seed despite not having Amar'e Stoudemire, who missed all but 3 regular season games due to knee surgery.

Nash would keep Phoenix afloat with another MVP-caliber season, but again the Western Conference Finals would prove fatal to Nash.

His former team, the Dallas Mavericks, would end Phoenix's cinderella run in six hard-fought games.

The highlight of the season came during the Suns' first round defeat of their division-rival Lakers. Phoenix battled back from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Lakers in 7 games. One of only 8 teams in history to pull off the feat.

Fact:With Amar'e Stoudemire and Joe Johnson out of the picture, Nash averaged a career high 35.4 minutes per game in 2005-2006.

2006-2007: Nash and Suns Miss out on Best Chance at a Title

The Suns surpassed the 60-win plateau in 2006-2007, claiming the West's no. 2 seed in the process.

Nash missed out on a third-consecutive MVP that season; his buddy Dirk Nowitzki won it.

Phoenix came into the postseason hot, knocking off the Lakers in five games after needing seven a year ago.

The stars were aligning for the Suns, who then watched no. 8 seeded-Golden State beat the top-seeded Mavericks in six games, meaning the Western Conference went through Phoenix.

Phoenix suffered a devastating Game 1 loss at home to San Antonio in the conference semi-finals, but gutted out a win on the road in Game 4 to even the series and reclaim home-court advantage in the series.

However a late game court-side altercation would cost the Suns two of their best players in Amar'e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for Game 5.

Phoenix fought hard with a rotation of roughly six players, but fell short in the fourth quarter, losing 88-85 on it's home court to surrender the series lead.

Game 6 was close until the third quarter when the Spurs blew it open and never looked back. The Suns would lose the series and their season, 4-2.

Fact:Tim Donaghy's crew officiated Game 3 of the Suns-Spurs series in San Antonio, the Spurs won the game and TV commentary questioned some flawed calls throughout the game.

2008-2009: Suns Miss Playoffs for the First Time with Nash on the Roster

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2008-2009 was an unusual season to say the least. The Suns entered the year under new head coach Terry Porter, after Mike D'Antoni stepped down in the offseason.

Phoenix would struggle the first half of the season under Porter, playing .500 basketball up until the All-Star break, when assistant coach Alvin Gentry took over for the fired Porter.

Phoenix finished the regular season strong, winning 18 of their 31 final games and just missing the West's no. 8 seed by two games.

The Suns would finish 46-36, ninth in the Western Conference, and in the lottery for the first time with Nash in uniform.

Gentry had reason to be optimistic however as the Suns had finished the year with a winning record despite not having All-Star forward Amar'e Stoudemire, who missed the remainder of the season due to an eye injury.

Fact:The Suns scored at least 140 points in Alvin Gentry's first three games as head coach.

2009-2010: Suns Are Reborn and Nash Slays a Texas-Sized Dragon

Phoenix seemed poised for a collapse after starting the 2009-2010 season 14-3.

A rough patch of basketball soon followed and the Suns found themselves just 26-21 nearing the All-Star break.

However the Suns would lose just seven more games by season's end and head into the postseason as the West's no. 3 seed.

Phoenix dropped their opening playoff game against Portland, but then went 8-1 in its next 9 playoff games to find itself in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2006.

In the process of making the WCF, Steve Nash and the Suns would quash their biggest nemesis, the San Antonio Spurs via a 4-0 sweep.

The team that ended Nash's title hopes 6 times in 11 postseason tries had finally been defeated.

The Suns would go on to lose to the top seeded-Lakers in six games, surprising many experts and basketball fans along the way.

Fact:Steve Nash scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter of Phoenix's series-deciding Game 4 win over San Antonio, with his right eye swollen shut after taking a Tim Duncan elbow to the head earlier in the game.